Sunset
by kurosakiLenalee
Summary: An AllenxLenalee fic after the anime has ended with the 14th Noah transformation to come. This splits before the Alma Karma arc.  Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda and Link are sent on a mission to help a town Cross had been sighted in earlier.
1. Sunset

**My first Fan Fic****:**** AllenxLenalee, 14****th**** Noah. Please give feedback****! This**** is just the first chapter****. I plan to continue on and have Allen transform into the 14****th**** eventually****. How ****are**** the writing sty****le and**** flow? Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own -Man, it belongs to Katsura Hoshino**

Chapter 1: Sunset

Allen looked at Lenalee. Her hair was down, blowing in the breeze which carried her sweet scent to him. He closed his eyes and tried to engrave this moment into his mind, like Lavi could, so he could recall it later whenever he felt alone or needed to find a source of strength. She was beautiful with her porcelain features facing the setting sun, splaying vibrant colors which saturated the scene with their deepness.

Sadness struck. The setting of the sun meant the end of his world of light and the oncoming of his world of darkness which he would suffer through alone; in the shadowy corner of his room and the dark recesses of his mind. He was never alone in those corners anymore. They were slowly being filled with another's presence, a Noah called Neah. He was emerging from his mind with some corporeal manifestations these past few months. Whenever Allen passed a reflective object he could see the shadow of "the musician" grinning back at him behind his own reflection. It was disconcerting at first, but he soon learned to expect it and not freak out when he espied it; the freak outs had caused Link to become suspicious and take some long notes in his notebook.

Now however, when Allen was in grave danger he would blank out only to resurface to Kanda yelling at him, calling him that annoying nickname "moyashi." He had a feeling it was Neah's fault because he wouldn't be harmed when coming to but the others would be looking at him confused and a little concerned. This first happened when fighting a Level 4 akuma a few months ago, but these episodes had been increasing lately to at least once a week, either during a battle or when half asleep while Link was at certain meetings or reporting to Lvellie.

After each of these episodes pain would rack his body as he felt his insides were being scrambled. His hair was also getting wavier (which of course Link had noted, though he did not know it was looking more like Neah's). As the number of these episodes increased so did the occurrences of his cursed eye acting up as if rebelling at the new consciousness that was coming forth: one side wanting to make akuma while the other side trying to save the their souls. When he was not in pain from the Noah, or his eye, he tried to enjoy his time with the other exorcists; especially Lenalee Lee.

As the sunset turned to dusk, Lenalee turned away from the stone wall to go back inside with Allen, Lavi and Kanda. They had just returned from completing a successful mission of saving a village from its infestation of akuma which had been searching for a fragment of innocence. As the colors around them faded to deep purples and blues they entered headquarters. Lenalee went to report to Komui, Lavi mischievously stalked after Kanda who was going to go and meditate somewhere Lavi-free (it had been a long train ride involving markers, braids, and fire), and Allen stood there trying to linger in the moment. He mentally noted that Link was busy reporting about the mission, which would somehow take three to five hours depending on how extensive his notes were. Sighing, Allen turned and walked the deserted halls of the order, through the empty dining hall, up many winding stairs and ended up back at his room. The physical manifestation of the prison his mind had become.

He entered and sat at his desk in the dark trying to remember every detail of the beautiful scene he had had the honor of spectating: the colors, Lenalee's hair, the breeze, the scent, the feeling of peace. It was a nice contrast to his moments of torment that followed him ever where. He then felt his eye activate. He knew there were no akuma at hand, but that he was feeling the pain of some distant akuma that had had the misfortune of being created; their souls in torment as they were forced to commit murder. This pain racked his whole body. It was as if all the akuma's anguish and sorrow was entering his body through his left eye. He whimpered pressing his right hand to his eye to try and stifle the pain. Then the pain increased dramatically as he realized he was feeling an akuma evolve to a Level 2, its soul disintegrating and Allen's own feeling the same. He cried out in agony as he curled in on himself to try and contain the torment he was experiencing. He then heard a knock on his door.

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><p>Lenalee was on her way back to her room after giving her short report on the mission to her overprotective brother, thinking about how she saw less and less of Allen, especially after dinner or a mission. It made her sad and worried; he was the one person that brought her the most happiness and feeling of peace. His smiles warmed her to the core and his polite speech and shyness were endearing. If only she could help him feel peace. She knew he felt responsible for the saving of every akuma he came or didn't come across. It was hard to see him try and shoulder that burden alone. She wanted to help him, but he seemed to disappear a lot lately. She decided to take a small detour and go visit Allen to see how he was doing. As she reached his door she heard the sound of someone in pain. Quickly she knocked on his door anxiously waiting for a response. When she received none, she called out to him while trying the door handle on the off chance that it would be unlocked. It was…<p>

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><p>Allen could not speak for fear of relaying his pain through his voice to whoever was knocking on his door. He then heard the sound of Lenalee calling his name as his door knob turned downward. He had forgotten to lock it.<p>

The first thing Lenalee saw was darkness in the room. She then peered through shadows and saw a figured curled up on a chair at Allen's desk.

"Allen?" she called hesitantly. Hoping that she had been hearing things and he had actually just fallen asleep at his desk after their exhausting mission. Then she heard the moaning coming from him and noticed that his hands were clenched at his cursed eye as he rocked back and forth slightly. Realizing what was happening she ran to him. She had seen something like this once when she had stumbled on him in the bell tower in the middle of the night. He had been trying to endure the pain his eye was giving him alone in the dark. Once again he was trying to bear it alone, and this time it was worse. She did not know how to alleviate the pain so she just hugged him tightly, trying to convey her feelings for him in that embrace.

Allen felt Lenalee around him; she was like a blanket of hope and love. He could not return the hug because of the pain, but her presence helped to dull it a little. He knew it would end in a few minutes and he would have to apologize to her for causing her to worry and see him in this state.

She stayed embracing Allen's curled up figure while he whimpered, gently rocking him until the pain started to subside. When he was finally able to unclench and relax a little he started to say something. It was an apology. Infuriated at this, she started to cry. She wanted to yell at him trying to bear this alone again, but she did not want to hurt him anymore then he was already hurting. Instead she just stayed there embracing him, trying to convey the fact that she would always be there for him whenever he needed someone.

After a few more moments Allen relaxed more and realized that Lenalee was still holding him. She was so slender and seemingly fragile, yet she was an anchor to him and his source of strength. Allen slowly uncurled and sat up straighter, turning to look her in her deep, lavender eyes. They still had some tears silently streaming down them, which he felt guilty about. He hated to see her cry, especially if he was the cause. It was gut wrenching and it felt as if his stomach had shrunk to just a mass of knots. He was going to start apologizing again but was stopped as Lenalee leaned in and kissed him.

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><p><strong>Once again, please leave feedback. It's my first and I don't know yet how to break up the switching view points and preserve the flow. Any pointers? Thanks.<strong>


	2. The Need to Help

**My first Fan Fic: AllenxLenalee, 14****th**** Noah. Please give feedback! ****Chapter 2, if you don't give feedback I can't get better!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own -Man, it belongs to Katsura Hoshino**

Chapter 2: The Need to Help

Shocked at Lenalee's actions Allen stiffened and felt red creeping up his face, but his feelings for her took over as he returned the kiss. Her lips were soft as was her hair as he reached up and held the back of her head to bring her in closer. The aches from the pain that had just racked his body melted away as he finally got to do what he had wanted to do for so long: if only he had realized her feelings for him sooner.

"**When you become the fourteenth, y****ou will have to kill someone you care about." **

Allen sat bolt upright, the words of Master Cross crashing down on him. He had been able to enjoy the other's company less and less recently except during missions, and now he remembered one of the main reasons why.

Lenalee startled as Allen pulled away so suddenly, his arms tensing, a look of horror on his face. Was the pain coming back or was it something else? She knew about the 14th and the fact that it was trying to take over the one she loved.

"What's wrong Allen?" she asked him apprehensively. He looked like he was in a state of shock, petrified and scared.

Slowly Allen looked down into her eyes, grateful she had been there for him but scared what would happen to her in the future if she continued to stay close to him. He tried to speak but his vocal chords seemed frozen. He tried again.

"Lenalee… you need to stay away from me" he began to say but was interrupted.

"No. I will not leave you to suffer alone. "

"I don't want to hurt you."

She did not know what to say to that. It was true that Allen was suffering, but if she got caught in the crossfire and got hurt herself, that would cause him to suffer even more. But still, she was not going to leave him to face the darkness alone.

"I'll be careful."

Allen still looked scared but seemed to relax slightly. He knew she could take care of herself, but he know the 14th was stronger. It was wearing away at him faster lately and he knew it was only a matter of time until he would be taken over completely no matter how hard he was fighting against it or promises it would break if he fell. When that happened, she could not be anywhere near him in order to protect her and stop the prediction from coming true. As if to reaffirm Allen's fears he heard a voice in the back of his head.

"**Allen… Let ****go….****"**

"No." Allen said forcefully, as he tensed back up. He seemed to be talking to someone else but Lenalee was not sure.

"Allen?" she asked tentatively.

He looked back up and gave her a forced smile. This reaction was not the one she was hopping for but better then another flat out rejection. It was so hard to see his hollow smiles when she knew how brilliant his genuine ones were; the ones that warmed her soul.

"I'm fine" he lied. It was hard to lie to her, but what else could he do that would not cause her even more pain? This reply would hurt, but not as much as being burdened with the truth.

At that moment Link opened the door to see the two teenagers looking at each other, both with teary eyes. What had he stumbled upon? Why did most of the interesting things happen in the little time he was not around? Why was Lenalee there? And why was Walker holding her head?

At the sound of the door, and a surprised exclamation from Link, Allen and Lenalee looked up. Realizing the position they were still in Allen quickly let go of Lenalee so she could stand up. Blushing, she quickly exited the room with a regretful glance back at Allen once she was on the other side of the door. She had been so close to getting him to let her in so she could help but had not succeeded in the end.

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><p>Once Link shut the door and turned back to Allen, he was already on his bed turned away from him. What had he walked in on? Why had they been crying? He decided to write it down in his notebook but made a mental note not to mention it to Komui. He did not feel like being the cause of the creation of yet another of his destruction robots. After a few minutes he decided to break the silence.<p>

"Are you okay?" He decided this was the best place to start.

"Fine."

Short reply; Allen seemed to not be in a talkative mood. Another jot in his notebook.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Guess he was only going to get one word answers out of Walker tonight so he let him be while he got ready to go to bed himself. It had been a long day with fighting, an eventful train ride back, all followed by his report meeting which had only lasted two hours this time. Maybe he was not taking enough notes?

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><p><strong>Once again, please leave feedback. It's my first <strong>**so anything helps.****Thanks. **


	3. Falling Inside the Black

**My first Fan Fic: AllenxLenalee, 14****th**** Noah. Chapter 3 for your viewing pleasure, but I don't really know if you like it because I have not gotten a single review yet!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own -Man, it belongs to Katsura Hoshino**

Chapter 3: Falling Inside the Black

That night his dreams were haunted. He saw the Black Order headquarters in ruins with bodies of countless finders all around sprinkled with those of the exorcists. The landscape was scarred and stained with the damage of either a large scale battle or something strong and dark rampaging. There were craters in the walls, ceiling and floor with cracks running like the veins of a creature caught in a spider's web. Blood had been splayed in wide arcs and its pools were creeping over the corpse asphyxiated ground like the spider had shown no mercy in its ravenous demolishing of its prey. The only sounds reaching Allen's ears were the steady drippings of the copper smelling substance; the pools of crimson only reflecting more of the carnage. Allen awoke breathing heavy. It was three in the morning and Link was still asleep. He forced his breathing to slow. 'Where did that come from?' he thought to himself. Still disturbed, he decided to roll over and try to sleep again, praying for a different dream. And a different dream he got.

The moon was bright, reflecting off the frost fingered surface of a lake. Allen was looking at the reflection staring at him from the dark, murky depths. He expected to see himself and the swirling shadow of the musician but got a shock. Instead of observing a phantom behind himself he saw a more defined shadow that was starting to become clearer as it began to eclipse his own reflection. This was causing that eclipsed part of himself to look more ashen and the hair darker. The other figure had an ominous smile spreading across its sinister lips. As the smile widened an excruciating pain grew in that overshadowed part of Allen's body like his DNA was being rewritten in the most agonizing way possible. Suddenly a hand shot out of the surface of the frosty water grabbing a hold of Allen's wrist trying to drag him down to the depths of the cold, dark confines of the seemingly other dimension of the other side of the glassy surface. Just as his arm, shoulder and the skin of one side of his face brushed the surface of the water Allen awoke. Sitting up, he realized that his face and arm really were wet. Hesitantly he placed his hand on the face and brought it back. There was blood on it, not only his hand but his arm, shoulder and face which was staining his long-sleeved shirt he was wearing in his chilly room as well as his pillow case. Whatever had touched the lake had transformed into the image of the Noah including the stigmata.

Panicking, Allen threw the covers off and made a silent mad-dash to the bathroom. His weary and panicked face met his view. Blood kept bubbling out of the newly formed stigmata and sliding down the right side of his ashen face. The red rivulets of his life force in synergy with his curse mark on the left side yet at odds with the intent of each: one to create and the other to destroy akuma. There were lacerations on his arm leaving a sickening pattern on his sleeve.

'No' Allen thought clutching his burning head. 'I will not let you take over. Never! I still have people and akuma I need to protect! (_Like Lenalee_) Even if it means more pain, I will prolong this process and hold you at bay Neah!' With that thought he heard a chuckle in the back of his mind. It seemed the Noah thought his reaction was commendable but useless all the same. 'Just you wait; you will break sooner than you think my mad puppet.'

With that, the physical manifestation of the Noah shrank by coming to a focus on one of stigmata before finally disappearing. The cuts also closed which was a relief. With that Allen quietly cleaned himself up and got rid of all evidence of the blood before returning to his pillow which had a new case on it. Thank the Lord that Link was a heavy sleeper after completing a mission. In a day or two Link would return to being a light sleeper so Allen would have to tread carefully.

Throughout the following week the process would repeat every night resulting in Allen slowly but surely becoming exhausted from the restless dreams and pain he would endure every night followed by more blood. With this continual blood loss Allen frequently got lightheaded but tried to hide it. He had learned to keep the leather belt from his old exorcist uniform near his bed side for when he could not keep the screams silent from the shear torture of the nightly transformations in order to not awaken Link. Link was however getting suspicious of the rate at which Walker seemed to be going through laundry but he was not sure what to make of it.

By the end of the second week the belt had many bit marks; some piercing entirely through the thick leather. He now avoided going to sleep as long as possible even though he would feign sleep to avoid Link's suspicions. He was getting more and more haggard as each day wearily passed by bringing no relief to his slowly corroding mind. The only moments he enjoyed were in the presence of his fellow exorcists at meals or during sparring but they were becoming concerned about him from his dark circles and the rate at which his reflexes were declining from exhaustion during sparring and training sessions. During one particular session Kanda nearly decapitated Allen who was moving so much slower than usual which caused Lenalee, who had been watching, to pull him aside to have a word with him.

"What is going on?" She inquired the visibly exhausted white-haired exorcist who was not looking her in the eye.

"I'm fine." He lied knowing she would see right through it but still pulled on one of his smiles. It hurt him to do so but it was a habit hard to break since he had been doing for almost all of his life.

Highly perturbed she responded, "If you don't want to tell me at least go to the head nurse. She may be able to help if you sleep better. You look awful and it is dangerous to be like this when we could get a mission any day now." It did not take a genius to diagnose what he was not sleeping well and with the state he was in it was clear that he most likely would not survive the next mission if they ran into anything more powerful that a level 2 let alone anyone from the clan of Noah.

Still keeping quiet, he just nodded and walked off in the direction of the hospital wing of headquarters to appease Lenalee. Once he was out of sight he changed course and just wandered thought the empty halls avoiding anything reflective thinking of how to combat Neah and not be so exhausted which was causing his mind to become slightly unstable. He knew that he could not keep this up for much longer because with each passing night more and more of him was becoming eclipsed and transforming. He was losing the physical and mental strength to keep up with the agony and horrible night mares he was presented on a nightly basis. When exhaustion would overcome him during the day he would sometimes daydream new horrible images and scenarios. Some included him personally killing off the exorcists one by one while others had him falling eternally into blackness with no escape or anything to hold onto.

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><p>That night he, Kanda, Lenalee and Lavi were called into Komui's office for a mission. Link was also there, the ever present shadow that unnervingly trailed Allen 247. They were to go to a town in France that apparently General Cross had spent a lot of time in the year previous and now, for some strange reason, unexplainable incidents were occurring in that rural area. Hopefully there would be no carnivorous plants there like when they found Krowly (which Cross had visited before they arrived). Miranda was to return from a mission in the next day or so and would be sent as back up later if necessary.

The mission specs: Discern what the cause of the unusual disturbances was

Ascertain how it could be taken care of

Decide if backup was necessary

Call in a report

Fix it and return

"Not a whole lot of details here." Lavi stated. Indeed there was nothing about what these strange disturbances were, how long they had been occurring, if there had been casualties or any else.

"You will see when you get there. The finders did not know how to put in words but requested the presence of at least four exorcists. It sounds serious so we are complying by sending you out immediately. Prepare to leave in an hour." Komui replied bluntly. He was in his unusually serious persona which contrasted greatly with his over-protective brother complex conveying the seriousness of the situation to all present.

"Well I guess we should get going then." Lenalee suggested while giving a worried look at Allen who still looked no better than he had earlier that day. She could feel this mission was not going to end well from the aching in her heart and the sense of foreboding that hung thick in the air.

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><p><strong>So depressed. Still no reviews! I have been waiting to update until after I got at least one review but have given up on that hope…<strong>


	4. Waiting for the Dawn

**I GOT A REVIEW! Thank you so much to TheSapphireRose, narutoslover, Tsura-chan2145, Royal Duke Armandilloer III, and Crazy-T7 for giving me my first ever feedback. Much appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own -Man, it belongs to Katsura Hoshino**

Chapter 4: Waiting for the Dawn

After they were dismissed to prepare for the mission, Lenalee could not help but voice her to concern to her brother. If Allen was not going to tell her what was wrong she needed someone else to.

"Nii-san?" she queried while approaching her brother cautiously, hoping to avoid a strangling hug because she had stayed to talk with him of her own volition.

"LENALEE-CHAN!" he yelled vaulting himself over his desk to attempt what she had feared he would do. She sidestepped causing him to trip on an enormous stack of papers he was supposed to go over last month…

"Nii-san…" Realizing he was kissing the floor and not his beloved sister, Komui came to his senses, stood up and straightened his uniform getting into semi-serious mode. Deciding the best route to get information from her brother while on a tight schedule Lenalee decided to be blunt and just ask. "Do you know what's wrong with Allen-kun?"

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><p>The train ride to the boat was fairly short, but then the entourage had to wait for high tide before their journey could continue. Once across the channel they would board another train to their destination in France. In the meantime there was nothing to do but be patient and try to not upset Kanda even more (Lavi had spilled some food on Kanda's coat while gawking at a lady through the train window before departure). Speak of the devil…<p>

"STRIKE! ❤ " That same lady emerged from another car of the train onto the platform. Her cascading blond locks being partially hidden by the shadows of an elaborate yet tasteful hat. It was three in the morning and yet she looked well put together and highly alert. As Lavi went off to stalk after the alluring lady the rest of the party went with the luggage to wait in the building by the docks. It would be four hours until high tide with little to do to pass the time so Link went to go double check that everything was in order so they could depart on time. The rest just waited for the dawn.

Meanwhile, all Allen could do to keep himself awake was to keep splashing water periodically on his face and biting the inside of his cheek to cause a distracting pain. His eyelids felt like blue putty and his head kept dipping as sleep threatened.

"Why don't you try to sleep until the boat can leave? I'll wake you up before then so don't worry about missing anything." Lenalee was genuinely worried for her white haired companion. He looked so terrible with his half-lidded, sunken eyes ringed in darkness and now would be a good time to catch up on some obviously much needed sleep.

"'m fine." He couldn't even get a complete coherent sentence out. His brain was going into complete shutdown.

"If you're fine then Kanda's a sweet little girl." Lenalee retorted. Kanda gave her a glare but did not retaliate further for she had a point. Even with just the few glances he had spared the moyashi he could tell that something was really wrong with him.

Sighing in defeat Allen knew he could not go much longer without at least a few hours of sleep, even if they caused him pain. "Alright, I'll go find a room and take a nap. Don't come get me until the boat is ready, and try to keep Link busy please?" he added with a small smile. He needed to find a safe room where he could transform into and back from the Noah he knew he was becoming, and he needed to do it without the others noticing (especially two-pimples). With that he took his luggage so he would have a spare shirt after the event and started meandering down the halls looking for an empty room with no windows where he could barricade himself for a few hours.

At length he came to one that suited his needs. It had a few stacks of crates for storage, but other than that looked like it had not been used in a while from the light coating of dust. By moving a few of the crates in front of the door he would know if anyone was trying to enter. Quickly he took off his uniform coat and laid it on the ground for him to lie on; he was quickly losing consciousness now that he did not have to save face in the presence of anyone's company. As soon as his thin frame collapsed he mind was teleported to another world; a world of nightmares, pain and fear. Not that he did not constantly live in the fear of his transformations be discovered, but this was the fear that he may not make it back to the world of reality; or if he did that he would not be himself anymore.

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><p>After about an hour Lavi returned looking very forlorn. Apparently the woman had been on her way to elope and was therefore not at all interested in the bounding rabbit that had approached her eager to win her affections. It was a sad expression to see on his kind and excitable face but he needed to learn to not fall for every good looking girl he ever saw. (Two were even akuma for pity's sake!) A meditating Kanda noticed and che-ed to poor Bookman Jr.'s fate.<p>

At the same moment Link also arrived looking not too happy. Apparently there were not enough rooms available on such short notice and they could only get three. That meant Lavi and Kanda would have to share so everyone would be miserable the entire journey and the lone finder would probably bunk with himself and Walker. Lenalee of course, as the only girl, would get her own room. To worsen his mood he found that Allen Walker was nowhere to be found. Of course he should have taken him with him while talking to the captain! "Where's Walker?" he quickly inquired to the three other exorcists.

"What's up?" Lavi asked. Link seemed more upset than normal.

"Where is Walker?" Link was now really annoyed and frustrated. Why were things turning out like this today? With all the strange symptoms Walker was showing lately, now was not the time to lose sight of him. "Fine, I'll look for him myself." He huffed and was about to stalk off until Lenalee grabbed his arm to halt his imperative progress.

"I'll help you!" she offered, needing to steer him in the wrong direction to give Allen a chance to sleep uninterrupted for a little bit.

"Thank you Miss Lee that would be very helpful" Link stated with no inkling of her intended deception. She led him down the road to look in all the boarding houses knowing that Allen was actually still in the building by the docks. There were quite a few inns from bed and breakfasts to large scale luxury suits in chain hotels. All were bustling with the many travelers from all around the world who had stopped at the busy port. It took them two hours before Link lost his patience completely after getting bumped into for the fiftieth time and decided to storm back to the dock to wait for Walker there. Luckily they found the docks again after only half an hour more of being lost in the chaos.

After their return Lenalee decided she should go find Allen as they would be boarding in about half an hour. She excused herself from the others and entered the building traversing the many hallways trying each door she came too.

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><p>Allen was fitful in his unconscious state; his arms randomly trying to ward off some unseen assailant. It was dark in the small storage room and the darkness seemed to be affecting his mind.<p>

"Come closer to the edge. It could be all over quickly if you just did not prolong this painful process. I do not wish you to suffer this much, just let go…"

Allen's will was breaking. He was not sure it was worth it to keep going through this transformation pain over and over with no end in sight. If he did, he would finally be out of Levellier's grasp and away from his constant shadow Link. He would be able to sleep at night, eat normally again and have only one reflection. It seemed more tempting every day. He decided to inch towards the edge of the lake to gaze into the face of the one that haunted him and yet offered a way out.

As he peered over the edge he heard a different voice calling his name…

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><p>"Allen! Where are you? We are boarding soon!" Lenalee was walking down the halls still, calling out to the boy that held a special place in her heart. She had been wandering for fifteen minutes already and not found that precious person who gave her life more warmth and hope.<p>

'Lenalee' Allen thought as he recognized the voice. He started to back away from the lake. Suddenly a hand shot out from the icy surface and grabbed at Allen's wrist desperately trying to pull him under. He called out with all his might struggling to get back to the most important reason why he could not change. Lenalee would be brutally murdered after his transformation and there would be nothing worth living for after that. How could he have forgotten about that? Was his exhaustion really that bad? He had to get back! He had to wake up!

While passing one of the last doors in the furthest hallway Lenalee heard a scuffling and someone crying out. It sounded like Allen. She shoved against the door but it would not budge. It seemed to be barricaded with multiple heavy things. Scared, she activated her Dark Boots and kicked the door which burst asunder revealing the previously impenetrable room inside with shafts of dusty light. Something was definitely wrong.

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><p><strong>Need more reviews! Is the writing style hard to follow, too much to enjoy or awkward? Please give me elaborate advice and feedback! I think I can take it!<strong>


	5. Found

**With support I can move fast. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own -Man**

Chapter 5: Found

Dust danced in the piecing beams of light penetrating into the shadowy depths of the storage room. It was oddly silent now. Hesitantly Lenalee called out to see if there was actually anyone in the previously sealed room. Behind a row of dirty crates a pale hand fluttered into view for a moment before dipping back below the rim of crates that concealed the rest of the figure. Vaulting over the splintered blockade and row of reinforcement Lenalee came to a sudden halt at the view that greeted her horrified violet orbs.

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><p>Kanda begrudgingly missed the old moyashi. He secretly enjoyed their heated arguments followed by violence. It was great stress relief even if it sometimes ended in injury (usually to Allen, not himself of course). This past week or two Allen had been more subdued in an unnerving sort of way, not the "let's mellow out for everyone else's sake" way. It was starting to be a problem now. There was no way that Bean Sprout would be able to help out on this mission in his condition and it would be everyone else's job to cover for him. Not only was this endangering the mysterious mission but put everyone in needless danger. And yet knowing the moyashi, he would be pushing himself to save both the living and the damned akuma cursed to kill even if it was obvious he would not succeed. He needed to do something to restrain Allen from going overboard with unnecessary heroics when he was in this half-alive state or Kanda would just end up having to go in to clean up the mess. Rising up from his meditation position that had been rendered useless by pestering thoughts of that annoying white haired exorcist, Kanda went to go search for him to give a piece of his mind.<p>

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><p>Allen was unconscious. There were red patterns creeping up his right sleeve as she watched transfixed. They seemed to be blooming for no reason along his raised arm and Allen's face was screwed up in terror and pain. His hand was also a darker color then she had ever seen his complexion.<p>

"Allen! Allen-kun!" Lenalee started to cry out in hysterics. She had never seen anyone in a state like this. It was as if there was something invisible pulling on Allen's arm while sadistically cutting it open with a sharp razor. The crimson stain was spreading rapidly across the white cloth, soaking through and dripping, collecting on his exorcist coat beneath him. They were not slowing and there seemed to be no indication as to how far down Allen's tormented frame they would advance.

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><p>He could here he voice again. It sounded sad and scared. That bothered him; no one should ever make Lenalee feel that way. By now his arm was in the water past his elbow and his aching muscles were losing the fight to keep the rest of him out there even though he knew he did not want to leave his world behind and lose Lenalee. She was calling his name and it was all he do to keep from toppling headfirst into the dark depths. He seemed to just be prolonging the inevitable plunge that was his dark destiny to take.<p>

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><p>In desperation and in fear of hurting Allen further, Lenalee reached out and placed her slender, pale fingers on his forehead. His faced seemed to relax slightly and his erratic breathing slowed though the blood continued to fall.<p>

* * *

><p>Suddenly Allen felt a light, warm pressure. It seemed to be trying to help him by giving him extra strength. Someone was out there. Someone was trying to help him return from the land of nightmares and shadows. It was enough. Pulling with all his might Allen wrenched his arm free from the clutch of the presence beneath. As his last finger emerged so did his mind.<p>

* * *

><p>He was back in the storage room; exhausted but in the world of reality. There were the wooden ceiling, the stacked crates, the concrete floor under his jacket. But there was something else. Turning his head slightly he took in the countenance of Lenalee Lee. 'Crap.' She had seen him. There was no hiding this from her now. On second thought it was actually going to be nice to confide in someone about this. It was hard to keep it secret when these episodes occurred so often. She looked so sad though and grief stricken looking down on him. He knew he looked horrifying and if this was her first time seeing it, it was understandable. At least it had stopped before the stigmata this time. It would have been a real shocker then.<p>

Slowly he sat up to her gasping. With this much blood loss he was getting light headed but he had been worse. Of course this time it almost ended his mental existence so he was really shaken but he had to clean up the evidence before anyone else arrived. His hands shakily moved to his shirt buttons so he could bandage himself and put a clean shirt on but he was stopped. Lenalee wordlessly pushed his hands back down so he could support himself while she did it for him.

After her dexterous fingers slipped a few times on the buttons she got a hold of herself and pushed the shirt the back revealing the scars that carved patters on his torso. There was the one from Allen's own sword, a few others from previous battles, and some partially healed ones on his right side that seemed to have been formed recently. These new ones unnerved her. 'He has not been on a mission in two weeks so where were they from? Had he been having episodes like this one recently that had done more damage?' Pushing those thoughts aside she helped him get his arms out of the sleeves.

He gasped and clenched his jaw as the wet fabric brushed against his newly opened arm before it slid off completely. Deep lacerations were revealed, some ringing half way around his arm while another went from wrist to elbow. These were layered on top of other healing gashes, some more healed than other. The only smooth skin left was now smeared in scarlet. As Lenalee just sat and stared as Allen's other hand started to go through his luggage and brought out a few rolls of bandages and needle and thread. He would need less then he thought but he was too exhausted to do it. He had to lie back down. He needed to bring his breathing back under control. If he didn't, he was going to pass out and return to that realm of shadows.

Recovering from her shock again Lenalee leaned down and took the supplies from Allen's clamped hand and began to sew up the most grievous wounds. She had learned how to from her brother but had never done it in practice. She needed to move quickly to stop the loss of even more blood. Allen's consciousness was fading fast even with the pain of getting stitches and she needed to keep him awake. It was dangerous to sleep in this medical condition so she just started talking…

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><p>Kanda had been wandering around for a good ten minutes and not seen pale hide or white hair of that scrawny exorcist of a shrimp. They were supposed to board in five minutes and he was reaching the end of his patience. Just before he was going to start cutting down the first wall he heard a faint muttering. I sounded strangely like Lenalee. Intrigued he followed it and came to the end of the hallway. He started to run when he was the state of the door but stopped short when he came into the doorframe.<p>

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><p><strong>PLEASE LEAVE SUGGESTIONS<strong>** OR CRITIQUES!**


	6. Bakanda on Board

**Disclaimer: I do not own -Man**

Chapter 6: Bakanda on Board

Kanda froze. In the dim depths of the room he could see Lenalee helping Allen button up his shirt. 'That's weird. Did the kid finally make a move?' Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind he cleared his throat and intruded. When he looked down over the crates though he decided that may not actually be the case. The exorcist coat under Allen had crimson pools which was suspicious. Knowing the moyashi, his disdain for his Shisou would probably prevent him from ever acting like that. "You made me look all over for you moyashi. We board in five minutes."

"It's not my fault you're slow Bakanda." Allen retorted, thou without his usual gusto.

Slowly drawing his precious sword Mugen, Kanda fought back the urge to retaliate and opted for pointing at the coat with it instead. "What happened?"

Allen immediately sobered in attitude and cautiously glanced at Lenalee before answering.

They were supposed to be boarding now. 'Where the heck have those three exorcists gone?' a highly disgruntled Link thought while standing on the gangplank. Lavi and the finder had already boarded and were finding their rooms and he was stuck here waiting for the lollygaggers to finally stroll onboard at their convenience. He had a bone to pick with Allen; not only had he disappeared and made him look through the whole city for him to no avail, but he had the audacity to threaten to make them late for departure. 'When his white head finally comes into view I will not let it leave my site for the rest of the mission.'

Kanda stood there stunned. Was what the moyashi revealed the horrible truth? By the obvious state of things it certainly seemed plausible. The 14th Noah was not only implanted in Allen, but was slowly taking over; much more quickly now by the look of things. "Does Link know?"

"No, would I still be able to walk around free if he did?"

"Should we tell Lavi? He is a bookman and may know something that could help."

"I think we should Lenalee. He is on this mission and it could only help. After all, he does know how to get on the wrong side of people. He could keep Link distracted at times if necessary, plus he probably already suspects something."

"Che-" This would need a lot of thought and secrecy to keep Allen out of the evil clutches of that Levellier. He would not let Allen be experimented on like he had been. The Order would never have another live specimen to have their way with for "the greater good of The Order." Of course the 14th was a serious threat that needed to be dealt with but not the way The Order handled these situations. Not only did he, but Lenalee as well, had experience of being on the wrong side of the order for a time. History was not going to repeat itself. "How much longer?"

"Not long now, I am so tired but having your guy's support will help. With that… maybe 9 days. I almost lost it just now, but with assistance I can drag it on a little longer."

"So soon?" Lenalee was not expecting this short of a time frame to plan, get answers, implement said plan and pull it off.

"It's not really that sudden. I've been seeing his shadow for months and its gone downhill from there."

"What do you want us to do?" Kanda was actually showing he had a heart. He may not be openly weeping but he was willing to do all he could to help his comrade and not lose him to the darkness.

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><p>"FINALLY! I hope you know I had to have the ship delay by 10 minutes! We are now off schedule and I have more paperwork to fill out explaining why thanks to you!" The irate Link was a sight to see. He was flustered with a vein bulging at his temple. This mission could not get off to a worse start. After a slight breather Link continued. "Walker! I hope you know the consequences are for what you have done, you will not leave my side this entire voyage or the rest of the mission! If necessary I will restrain you so you stay put and within sight!"<p>

Gloom. A dark depression settled over the already exhausted Allen. He would not be able to hide his nightly transformations from Link in this situation. Things were looking worse.

"Um, Link? Isn't that going a little too far? He won't be able to go anywhere once we are at sea and if akuma attack it would be a hassle to have to unbind him before either you or him could help." Lenalee knew her point was valid at hoped Link would see it that way and get over his hurt pride. Also, she needed to be able to get Allen away from Link sometimes during the voyage so he could sleep without fear of being discovered during their three day voyage. If he was, all hope was gone concerning keeping Allen out of the vile clutches of Levellier. They knew he would not hesitate to execute their friend should he be found guilty of being a Noah and therefore a threat.

This was going to all be left up to their stealth skills and Allen's will.

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><p><strong>PLEASE LEAVE SUGGESTIONS OR CRITIQUES!<strong>

AN: I am sorry I have been absent. The semester was long and I was sick in the hospital for a few days. Doing much better now and starting a new semester. It is going to be awesome. Going to start the next chapter tonight.


	7. The Voyage Part I

The Voyage Part 1

That first night Allen feigned sleep to appease Link (his stalker and cabin-mate). He did not want to have another episode so soon and in such a tight space especially with a third body, the poor finder, also in the cramped quarters. Instead he let his mind wander while he stretched Timcampy. Earlier that evening Lenalee had filled Lavi in on what was occurring and implored him for his secrecy and help. He had agreed full heartedly and had helped with the planning on how Allen would survive this trip. Allen was thankful that he had friends who would help him through his dark troubles. It was a nice change from his earlier life where it was a fight for survival in the circus with the sadistic Cosmo. Even when he had been traveling with Mana it was just the two of them; now he had a circle of trusted friends that stood by him. Even so this was going to be a long boat ride, four days to get to the coast closest to the remote village in France they were trying to find.

Even though his body had rested (though not slept) his mind was still exhausted the next morning. If he does not get at least a little more sleep soon he will collapse where he stands. With this in mind Allen found Lenalee on the deck.

She looked angelic in the morning light looking over the railing, her hair flowing in the sea breeze. He hated to break the spell of the moment but after a few minutes he supposed it was time. "Morning Lenalee."

"Allen! Good morning! You don't look so good. Did last night go alright? I was so worried I kept waking up and pacing." She was a little flustered at seeing Allen leaning against a cabin wall gazing intently at her with a small smile on his face so her words were running away from her. Why did he have to look so stunning? It was distracting from her current mission of keeping him alive and causing her mind to wander.

'Why is Lenalee flustered? Did I startle her? Maybe I should have thought of a different way to get her attention. It was really cute though…' "It was alright, but I'm really tired. Do you think you could watch over me for a little so I can at least get a few minutes of sleep today? I don't want to trouble you, but if you wouldn't mind I would really appreciate it."

Ah! Her brain was getting fried from his inadvertent cuteness and romantic way of saying things. 'Stop blushing! I need to sound normal!' "Of course! I'll stay with you and get Lavi to be lookout and distract Link."

"Thanks, my eyes don't want to stay more than half way open."

'Ah! He's so cute when he's sleepy! I know this is horrible and he could get hurt again badly, but his face and mannerism are so endearing! Must stay focused.'

With that the two made off to a storage compartment below deck looking out for Two-Spots. Allen sent Timcampy out to bring Lavi to them so they could give him his mission. When Lavi finally appeared Allen was already half unconscious on the floor behind some suitcases with Lenalee crouched over his face stroking his bangs. "Ohayo! I take it I'm sentry duty?"

"Please Lavi, I don't think we should let him sleep alone anymore."

"Honestly or is that just an excuse?"

"Lavi! I'm serious!" Lenalee rebuked but with a deep blush gracing her porcelain features.

"All right, all right. I'll just be out here. Don't get too carried away. 3!"

"Out Lavi!" With that last outburst from Lenalee Allen faded from consciousness with a smile. How he would miss them…

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><p>The second day passed much like the first only this time Lavi watched over Allen as Kanda stood guard stoically. They had to rotate so the same people would not be missing. Allen slept for almost half an hour with the friendly presence keeping the worst of his nightmares away, but only with Lenalee watching did he have the pleasantest dreams.<p>

That night once Link and the finder were asleep Allen crept out of the confining compartment and went onto the deck. The moon always reminded him of Mana but more recently of his encounter with Tyki Mikk. The moon had seemed so close that night, the glowing orb filling his entire vision threatening to engulf him. He shivered just reminiscing about that dark feeling. The thought of it all ending with nothing he could do about it, no way to fight it. At least with his current situation he had a chance to prolong his downfall.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night?"

Spinning around Allen's gaze fell on none other than Link. Apparently it had been his turn to feign sleep. His expression was not happy but not too hard either which was surprising. Seeing this Allen decided to tell him about his encounter with death and Tyki Mikk.

"A few months before you were assigned to watch me I had a run-in with a certain Noah. During the time the Generals had been being targeted and inside information was being leaked. Some exorcists and groups of finders were being ambushed by overwhelming forces and wiped out. The one who had been giving information was Suman Dark."

"We heard about that in the central agency. We were pulling long hours trying to find the leak. There were many 'interrogations' conducted"

"He became a fallen one and I tried to save him. He was destroying a town and many innocent lives were being taken. I had to do something immediately as I was the only one there at the moment. I had sent Lenalee away to get a little girl medical attention. My innocence was not cooperating and kept back lashing. It seemed to be agreeing with Suman's innocence which was the same type as mine, a parasitic arm. It was so painful but Tim kept me going until I finally separated Suman from his innocence. I could barely move by the time we landed back on the ground. Even after everything I had done Suman had lost his mind then was devoured by those cannibal butterflies. They were being used by the Noah Tyki Mikk. He put his hand through my chest to pull out my heart but I fended him off. He then destroyed my arm and crushed my innocence. After all that, he had one of those butterflies eat a hole in my heart. I really was sad and terrifying watching the moon getting closer as I lay there dying. I did not want to abandon everyone, I wanted to live but there was nothing I could do about it. I eventually regained consciousness in the Asian Branch but was no longer an exorcist. Those were some of my darkest days."

"I've read the report on how you re-obtained your innocence. It says you fight for demons and humans. That logic makes many in Central wary and distrusting of you. You seem to be fighting for both sides."

"But I'm saving the demons, not making more of them! With my innocence I can purify their souls and set them free!"

"There are many who cannot see what you can and don't care what happens to the demons they hate as long as they are destroyed. To see them in a sorrowful light instead of anger seems treasonous. You truly are cursed."

"…"

"Now go get some sleep!"

"Eep! Yes sir. Good night Link."

'That boy and his compassion. It's going to get him killed one way or another. If the demons don't get him the cardinals will, they don't understand.'


	8. The Voyage Part II

Chapter 8: The Voyage Part II

The last day of the voyage was going to be just like all the others. The ocean breeze was strong and they were making great time (much to Link's happiness). Allen, Link and the others were on deck anxious to be able to get off this boat: they all were getting claustrophobic from the close quarters. Nine in the morning and all was quiet. They should be docking by two this afternoon and the dash would commence. Whatever they were going to find, Allen was sure it wasn't going to be pleasant.

His eye activated.

To the left a wave of at least 200 akuma rose over the sea. Not good. Without Miranda this ship could easily sink from the akuma bullet holes before land would even be in sight. Dire. That was Allen's immediate prognosis as a second wave emerged from the right of another 200 tortured souls. Even though they were all level ones, there were enough bullets between them to make Swiss cheese of the boat. The four exorcists activated as Link slid into a fighting stance alongside them raising glowing sealing tags. This would be brutal. First priority was to stay alive and to do that they not only needed to protect each other, but the ship as well. The hull was huge! How on earth could they do this?

Akuma in range. Volley of bullets incoming. Kanda sent waves of hell insects out to meet the bullets mid-progress. Lenalee blew others away with her Dark Boots. Link threw up protective barriers of seals on the hull where the bullets still came through their defenses. Allen knew the safest place to take care of these akuma was away from the exposed craft.

"Lenalee! Can you please fly me out towards where the groups are converging? I can take a lot of them out away from the boat."

"Sure! Hang onto my hand." With that the two exorcists flew as fast as Lenalee's Dark Boots would fly them towards the combining akuma forces. Dancing through the bullets and bodies they halted in the center of the enemy. Before the akuma could react Allen raised his sword in hand, power flowing from him in waves. "Death Orbs!" Never before had Lenalee been in range when this attack had been used. It was a feeling she had only felt from the generals. The overwhelming power was unbelievable. The akuma were exploding in rings rippling out from them.

Allen had never used this move on so many akuma at once. Twenty was about the max he had done before and this was a one shot attack. He had to take out as many as possible now before they rejoined the others. He was putting his all into this attack. It had left him winded lat time so no telling how he would be after this round. Concentrating and funneling as much power as he had, the akuma continued to combust, their souls being saved ten at a time. After what felt like an eternity, he felt like all his musterable strength had been drained and the explosions subsided. He opened his eyes. One hundred and fifty had been demolished and Allen was now exhausted. Hanging limply in Lenalee's grasp they sped back to the ship. At touchdown Lavi scampered up the rigging to keep a lookout on the remaining forces. Allen was dazed and having trouble staying awake. He had put everything he had into that attack but there were still 250 akuma left approaching the punctureable ship head on.

Gently slapping Allen's face Lenalee kept Allen awake. Now was not the time for this. Allen, sufficiently startled into alertness, sat up from the deck to the view of more barrages of bullets being deflected. He was too tired to do anything but at least his brain was in the game again. After another two minutes the akuma had closed the gap and arrived at the transport, despite Lenalee twisting through their formations taking out as many as fast as she could. They were down to about two hundred now all of which had bullets to spare at the four fighters as well as their transportation. Spreading his cloak over as much ship as possible, Allen wearily drew his sword and rejoined the fray. Kanda was jumping, slicing and hacking, occasionally taking a bullet to spare the vessel from their destructive power. He was now bleeding heavily but still managed to keep up a constant attack. Lavi was directing fire tornadoes through the air but kept them away from the flammable rigging. Extending his belt, Allen ascended into the air swinging, but his arm was slow and his reflexes sluggish. He hit the deck once more with a thud. After recovering from the stun, Allen lifted his head and saw to his dismay two level four akuma descending from on high.

He lifted his arm and lunged with his belt accelerating his projection straight at the closest level four but it shifted to the side and caught Allen's wrist effectively stopping his momentum and his sword's movement. I giggled. Why did it have to sound like a child? It sent shivers of revulsion up his spine. The grip suddenly shifted and tightened on his wrist lifting his arm to expose his ribs with a swift jerk. The kick was excruciating, shattering two ribs as Allen was sent flying into the deck below breaking through to the lower deck.

At the sound of splintering wood the three others turned to look with horror splattered across their faces as the two new akuma came into view as well as the gaping hole in the floor. Quick as a flash Link activated a destroying seal, much like the akuma arm of the third exorcists, sucking in as many akuma as possible. No more reason to try and ration his energy. He needed to take out these level ones so the exorcists could be freed up to take on the new arrivals. Now there were only seventeen or eighteen left with only superficial or non-fatal damage done to the ship. Link could do this. Seeing things at the front could be left in the capable Crow's hands, the three exorcists turned to face their new battle.

The level four with a machine gun arm was just turning slow summersaults in midair while waiting for some unknown trigger. The other was just staring with its head tilted to the side, almost in a puppy-like manner. Suddenly an evil grin shot across its face with razor sharp teeth. All puppy mannerisms were gone, instead replaced with a killer intent so intense Kanda even backed up a step. This was not going to be pretty. Quicker than they could see, it shot forward and flicked Kandas forehead causing fatal brain damage with the skull shards and several broken bones with his landing impact.

"Yuu!"

"Kanda!"

No answer, he was out for the count. Healing this would take at least half an hour. Next it turned, grinning toward Lenalee, head caulked, looking over its shoulder, its eye a pentacle. Something was off. This seemed stronger than the level four they had fought at headquarters.

"It's going to evolve!" shouted Lavi.

Quicker than before the evolving akuma seemed to teleport and lunge its forearm straight through Lenalee's abdomen, then pulsed dark matter causing her to spasm, scream and black out. Eyes wide in shock Lavi felt a similar pain to the one he was witnessing. Looking down he saw directly into the akumas mismatched eyes, one white with a pentacle, the other a glowing red. The face pulsed and he felt it wrack his entire body in agony. In all the wars he had witnessed, he had never seen a torture that felt this bad. Every cell in his body was being scorched by the dark matter. It felt like he was dying, if not from this, then at least the blood loss. He heard the arm being extracted and felt his body falling. Just before losing consciousness, he saw a white head emerge from the hole in the deck. Allen… 

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><p><strong>AN **So sorry for the delay. School, finals, and moving back to a different state takes some time and effort. Also, got distracted by some movies. *cough* The Lorax *cough* Thank you so much for the reviews and not giving up on me.


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